Watch those road signs carefully, cyclists, because rule-breakers could see a ticket in their hands in the near future.
On Thursday, Capital Regional District bylaw officers handed out 40 warning tickets to cyclists on the Galloping Goose Trail and Lochside Trail in Saanich for not stopping at intersections.
Officers were posted at intersections with crosswalks where drivers have complained about bicycles not stopping, said chief bylaw officer Don Brown.
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Brown said the crosswalks are for pedestrian use. However, bicycles are considered to be vehicles and cannot be ridden across the crosswalk.
In addition, clearly marked stop signs for bicycles are placed at intersections, warning them to stop for passing vehicular traffic.
“Cyclists just blow right through these stop signs and people are slamming their brakes, putting people in danger of rear-ending the person in front of them,” Brown said.
Several verbal warnings had already been made to cyclists, said Brown, and that these warning tickets are the next step. If cyclists continue to ignore the stop signs, real tickets will be issued.
“If we see the same people again there will be penalty tickets,” Brown said.
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Bylaw officers will be making their way to intersections on these trails again in the near future.
“It’s amazing to me there hasn’t been a serious accident,” Brown said. “You’re driving down the road and then all of a sudden, whoosh, a bicycle whizzes right in front of you.”
The main thing Brown wants cyclists to know is that the crosswalks are for pedestrians. If cyclists get off their bikes and walk across, then vehicles are obligated to stop, he said.
Otherwise, bicycles have to obey the stop signs that are clearly marked on the trails.
shalu.mehta@goldstreamgazette.com